Bill I see many suggested a tighter crop but I'm with you on this one! Appreciate the comments.

RobertLavker Actually it was quite cold on the hands! I had to keep slipping the Goretex gloves on to warm up.

wrosenthalFeb 25, 2019

I had this much higher in the ranks. I think the 'off balance' aspect bothered folk, but that's what I liked about it. Also the stark white background.

RobertLavkerFeb 25, 2019

You definitely hit this challenge with outstanding action shots. I was telling Michael of my cold hands in Chicago winters that dampen my enthusiasm for picture taking. You obviously are immune. Great work.

Comments After End of ChallengeComments During Voting

Jade O.Feb 25, 2019

Thanks Jomari. I think they're what makes it work though a few suggested a tighter crop as you can see below.

jomariFeb 24, 2019

Nicely composed. The poles add much to the design.

Jade O.Feb 24, 2019

Lo You are so right! But he did recover from the very edge of disaster here. I really do like the limited colour palette (white black red and blue mostly with just a touch of green to give it some life). You are so right about the overcast; heavily snowing during a good part of the races and flat light made for a challenging slalom course. Just under the fluff was a lot of hard-pack nearly-ice base which means you can't go into a gate flat or off balance or you end up like this! (--not to mention getting the face positioned so that it is peaking around the pole is just pure luck - impossible to time even in burst mode so I was really happy with this one.)

johncomyn Ah yes, well can't get them all! Thanks for commenting (my shooting was quite limited as it was snowing heavily a lot of the time which, with a zoom, meant mostly obscured shadowy figures). I should add, of the two I really like this one way more - maybe because it seems more natural to me and I know exactly what this guy is feeling at this captured moment! : )Edited on Feb 24, 2019

LoFeb 24, 2019

There is a lot of movement in the photo - not just what is captured, but what appears to be inevitable as he careens off the page. Great colour on what looks like a cloudy day.

johncomynFeb 24, 2019

Not quite in the league as your other image, just misses out on my TT.

Jade O.Feb 24, 2019

Michael, you are not alone but in the minority : ) (so far). My view is a dead centre composition is less dynamic and eliminating the right most pole detracts from the abstract element of the scattered lines throughout this image. Always appreciate hearing your viewpoint however (hmmm, often the minority is right...).

MepoFeb 24, 2019

I'd suggest cropping the right side almost up to the tip of the skier's pole. Super action shot. leaving me wondering if he made it around the marker.

Jade O.Feb 24, 2019

I did consider it but by keeping it in I better preserved the Rule of Thirds and added a necessary (in my view) pole to enhance the abstract effect. I often try to ask myself when composing/cropping if every element is making an essential contribution to the image.

breadmakerFeb 24, 2019

great action shot but maybe cropping inside of pole on right hand side would improve

Jade O.Feb 23, 2019

aoc He recovered from the off balance and ended the run somewhere in the middle of the pack. Glad the simplicity appealed to you as it was what made the shot for me.Edited on Feb 23, 2019

aoc46Feb 23, 2019

Great action - like the simplicity of the composition. Hope hr makes it thru that gate!

Jade O.Feb 23, 2019

Bill Thanks. Happy to see you comment. He's definitely off balance! You can't really time this you just guess and sometimes get lucky. I focus on the pole (gate) and wait for the skier to approach, click and cross my fingers.

kerszkavet I was going to call this Poles but it's really gates and poles... I did think it was evocative of an abstract image with the play between vertical and off vertical coloured lines but still very grounded in reality and you and I agree about the tighter crop.

Maike13 I did consider a tight crop (lots of pixel detail allows for it) but wanted to give the skier some space because it is such a dynamic moment I thought the context would help the image - and I liked the almost abstract quality of the lines running in various directions like tossed sticks.

ysal Thanks. I think the limited colour pallette added a lot which is why I picked this one among maybe 50 shots that day.

RobertLavker You commented first and I relaxed when I read it. I was worried no one else would see the abstract quality of the random lines and the contribution they make to the image. Edited on Feb 23, 2019

wrosenthalFeb 23, 2019

I like the tension of the unbalance skier. Nice sports shot!

kerszkavetFeb 23, 2019

Great shot! I love the interplay between the gates and ski poles - reminded me of abstract art (e.g. Kandinsky)And then to have a sharp dynamic point of attention...

I really like the balance - I think the right hand red gate and the expanse of snow really add something that a tighter crop would have lost

Maike13Feb 23, 2019

Rather a lot of white. I think a much tighter crop would have been more effective. Still an excellent action shot though.

ysalFeb 22, 2019

Very nice action photo! Good colors against the white snow.

RobertLavkerFeb 22, 2019

Great action photograph. The seemingly randomness of the markers lends an abstractness to the image that is most effective. In my TTs.